Cleaning products in the home are a must, not only to have the place looking good but, more importantly, to get rid of dust, dirt, allergens, and bacteria.

You might be surprised to find, however, that the very products keeping your home clean can simultaneously be doing the opposite to you and the environment due to the harsh chemicals used and the amount of waste created.

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What is the Environmental Impact of Household Cleaners?

The most obvious and visible effect of cleaning products is the plastic packaging, whether it’s the plastic bottles they’re stored in or the plastic they’re wrapped in.

This causes a problem as it contributes to pollution, clogging landfills and ending up in waterways.

It’s not just packaging that is a problem. Harsh ingredients enter waterways and persist in the environment, either when washing down the drain or when empty containers are not disposed of properly.

Cleaning products also contribute to air pollution.

Many conventional household cleaning products are made with toxic chemicals. These can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) affecting outdoor air quality when windows are opened and VOCs are allowed to escape.

This problem has become so bad that some areas have started placing a ban on the amount of VOCs allowed in cleaning products in an attempt to control levels in the air.

Phosphorus, nitrogen, and ammonia are three of the most common VOCs.

While most pollutants are removed during wastewater treatment, these three are not. High levels of these chemicals in the water overnourish plant life causing their growth to explode.

This excessive vegetation clogs waterways and crowds out animals and other plants. The vegetation then dies in large masses, creating decay in the water and affecting its quality.

Algae blooms are also produced which affect oxygen levels in the water, killing aquatic life and leading to more decay, affecting the water quality even further.

A less visible impact is the emissions from transportation.

Cleaning products need to get from the manufacturer to the shop to your home. The heavier the container and the greater the volume, the more emissions are released when getting from one location to the next.

Health Impacts of Regular Cleaning Products

Since we are using cleaning products inside for the most part, VOCs that are released contribute to indoor air pollution as well.

In addition, residue can linger on the surfaces we touch and eat from. Common effects from this exposure can be eye, skin, and respiratory irritation.

Keeping your house clean is imperative, but to avoid unwanted effects on yourself and the planet, there are ways to cut back on waste and eliminate harsh ingredients, such as making your own cleaning products and choosing safer, zero waste brands.

7 Zero Waste Cleaning Brands

These eco-friendly cleaning products aim to reduce single-use plastics and help clean your home with non-toxic ingredients and no harmful chemicals. They make a great alternative and will help revamp your cleaning routine. Try these brands' green cleaning products:

PACKAGE FREE SHOP’S ZERO WASTE kits

Package Free Shop was founded by Lauren Singer (who went viral as the girl who managed to fit 8 years of all her trash in a mason jar) when she noticed there was not a united space for makers of sustainable products that helped to reduce waste.

Package Free was created with the intention to bring change and make zero waste living more accessible. Customers can shop for home care, body care, and on the go products either in their New York store or online.

Some of their most unique products are their Zero Waste Kits which are great for anyone interested in zero waste living, but feeling overwhelmed.

Their products range in price from $6-$108 featuring a huge range of goods including pet products, laundry detergent, reusable produce bags, bamboo toothbrushes, baby products, wellness products, cleaning products, and so much more that you're just going to have to check it out for yourself.

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Blueland's Zero Waste Cleaning Products for the Home

Formulated without harmful ingredients and designed to cut back on waste, Blueland offers everything you could need to clean your home.

They sell Tritan and glass Forever Bottles that you can reuse time and again simply by purchasing their cleaning and hand soap tablet refills.

They have single-dose dishwasher tablets that are not wrapped in plastic and can be stored in Blueland steel tins which are designed to be refilled and keep out humidity.

Packaging consists of recyclable shipping boxes and paper-based tape, while the wrappers and pouches from refills are compostable.

Blueland’s water and energy use is audited so they can find ways to reduce consumption and cut back on waste.

Blueland's cleaning supplies can be purchased for $7-$90.

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Meliora’s Refillable Cleaning Products

With all their ingredients listed, you know exactly what goes into a Meliora cleaning product. Their people- and planet-friendly products include laundry powder detergents, a stain remover, a bleach alternative, an all-purpose cleaner, and dish soap bars.

When your laundry powder detergent, bleach alternative, or all-purpose cleaner are finished you can order refills to cut back on waste. Meliora is single-use plastic free and their packaging is recyclable. They also give you the option of going package-free.

They are a Certified B Corporation and have certifications from Leaping Bunny and Made Safe. Meliora's eco-conscious cleaning products can be purchased for $9-$20.

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ZeroWasteStore: A One Stop Shop for Clean Home

ZeroWasteStore is an online store selling a variety of sustainable and eco-friendly products such as bath and beauty items, bedding, kitchen accessories, composting bins, and cleaning products, and even laundry detergent.

The latter includes laundry soap concentrate; refillable dish soap; a multi-use home cleaning powder that can be used for laundry, dishes, and as a multipurpose cleaner; and a refillable cleaner spray that is good as bathroom cleaners for porcelain, bathroom fixtures, and countertops.

ZeroWasteStore aims to live up to its name with plastic-free packaging that can be composted, reused, or recycled. These sustainable cleaning products and supplies range from $6-$50.

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ZERO WASTE OUTLET

Zero Waste Outlet provides the highest-quality zero-waste products at the lowest prices possible.

Each product on their site is hand-selected by them for its ability to reduce waste without sacrificing convenience.

Before listing a product on their site, Zero Waste Outlet considers practical usability, lifetime value, shipping requirements, competitive affordability, and end-of-life disposal scenarios.

They ship orders using minimal, eco-friendly packaging, and they ship using USPS for all deliveries.

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Ethique’s Cleaning Concentrates

While originally starting off as a beauty brand, Ethique has expanded into zero waste cleaning products. Their concentrates provide naturally derived and sustainably sourced active ingredients in a compostable cardboard box, and you add the water!

One concentrate saves 23.7 fl oz. of water and a plastic bottle from manufacture and disposal into landfill.

Ethique's cleaning concentrates include a multipurpose spray, dishwashing liquid, hand wash, and more. Their zero waste cleaning products range from $6-$10.

Ethique is a certified B Corp and pays their employees livable wages. This is a great brand to start with if you're looking for a zero waste solution.

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Refillery Market Cleaning Products

Refillery is an online store (with a presence at select Canadian markets) that offers several zero waste products.

When shopping with Refillery you can fill whatever cleaning product you need in their refillable mason jars, or use your own.

Their refillables include cleaning products for the kitchen and bathroom, as well as elsewhere around the home such as their lemongrass all-purpose cleaner that is biodegradable and phosphate-free.

refillable cleaning products — Refillery

You can even order and refill bottles of essential oils such as bergamot, lavender, lemon, and rosemary. Purchase essential oils along with their cleaning vinegar (also available for refills) to make your own cleaning products.

The Refillery products can be purchased online for $2-$20.

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etee’s cleaning products that Cut Back on Waste

etee has a variety of cleaning products on offer that cut back on waste and toxic ingredients.

For your dishes you can choose from their dish soap concentrate, dishwashing liquid, and dish soap bars.

The concentrated dishwasher detergent is free of parabens and palm oil and comes in biodegradable packaging. You only need one teaspoon for a dishwashing cycle, making a little go a long way.

The dish soap concentrate is plant-based and free from phthalates, sulfates, and synthetic colorants or fragrances. It comes in compostable pods, as do their multipurpose, window, and floor cleaners.

For your toilet, they have probiotic bowl cleaners that are free from chlorine and peroxide. etee's products can be purchased for $5-$20.

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Easy DIY Zero Waste Cleaners to Make at Home

You don't have to worry about shopping at the grocery store, because making your own cleaning products will help you cut back on waste.

Buy or, even better, reuse plastic spray bottles and glass pump jars and use these to combine and store your DIY cleaning solutions. Label them clearly. Once your DIY cleaner is finished you can simply wash the bottle and reuse it.

This is a great way to help your wallet and the environment.

DIY cleaners also allow you to control what ingredients go into your products.

Four non-toxic, natural ingredients that will help you with a variety of cleaners are baking soda, castille soap, lemon juice, and distilled white vinegar, some of which can even be effective on their own.

Lemons

Clean wooden and plastic cutting boards by rubbing them with a lemon and then rinsing them off with water.

Vinegar

Clean your dishwasher by placing a cup of vinegar on the top rack when the dishwasher is empty. Run a wash cycle. This will help remove grease and residue.

You can also clean windows and mirrors by mixing one cup of vinegar with four cups of water, spraying some on a cloth, and then wiping down the surfaces. It works great as a glass cleaner!

Baking Soda

Sprinkle baking soda on a cloth and use it to scrub away marks on walls and wallpaper.

When two or more of these ingredients are combined, you’ll have a non-toxic cleaning solution.

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